FROM NORTH OF TWEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19000, 24 October 1923, Page 8

FROM NORTH OF TWEED

A LETTER TO OVERSEAS SCOTS. (Written for the Otago Daily Times.) Br Robert S. Angus. EDINBURGH, September 6. Writing this week and next trom a plate where letters arrive one day late, and newspapers more than one, 1 cannot pretend to give an up-to-date chronicle of the week’s happenings, and to tell the truth, the receiving of letters on holiday is only one degree more pleasant than the sending of them. To make matters worse, the Scottish world, since I left the centre of it, seems to provide little material of interest or importance. This, be it understood, is not a suggestion of “post hoc ergo propter hoc.” In the country districts harvest, after some doubtful weather; is now in full swing. The second crop of holiday-makers is now being reaped in the coast and Highland villages. Those who have gone back to town to work find that there is no improvement in the trade outlook, and none in prospect so long as the situation on the Continent remains as uncertain as it is now. The schools have recommenced, and preparations are in. progress for the evening and continuation classes which have been a beneficent feature of our educational system for many years. They are specially necessary now, when so many youngsters who have left school cannot find w-ork. They are far better occupied in improving their equipment for life than loafing about waiting for work, which is so scarce.

COAL TRADE ACTIVITYAlmost the only exception to the general stagnation is the continued activity in the coal trade, not so brisk as it was, but still well above normal. This is mainly due to the demand from the Continent, as a result of the dislocation on the Ruhr. Prices are not what they were, with the result that for tho next two months the wages of tho miners will be lower by sevonpenoo a shift. T his is a smaller drop than had been expected. The East Coast ports continue to have the lion’s share of the export trade, and during the first seven months of the year they sent out 5,581,971 tons, about two millions more than for the same period last year, and about four times as much as wont from the western ports. The importation of pit props is exceedingly active, owing to tile great demand, the lowness ot freights, and the approaching close of the Baltic ports. Boness and the other ports on the Forth are reaping the benefit. PUBLIC HEALTH. It would seem that in .spite of dull trade and all that it means in under-nutrition, tho public health remains good. Dr Chalmers of Glasgow, whose experience is almost unrivalled, deals in his annual report with the death rate, while his professional neighbour, Dr M‘Michael, of Paisley, devotes his attention to the birth rate. Both have fallen steadily in recent years, anti both the medical men find satisfaction in the fact. 1 suspect the Paisley officer will got into trouble for tho frankness with which ho expresses the view that official approval, if not assistance, should be given to birth control. He thinks the time has come when the public authorities are neglecting their duty if they do not enlighten and educate tfie general public on the question. This is all the more surprising doctrine (o be preached in Paisley, seeing its staple industry is one with a large demand for child workers. Dr Chalmers shows that, while the death rate has always been higher on this side of the Tweed” than on the other, we do not seem to have kept pace during the last 10 years in the general reduction of child mortality. GAELIC IN THE SCHOOLS. An Oomunn Gaidleach, which, being interpreted means the Gaelic Society, has been having its annual two daVs’ comerencq, tills year at Inverness. The n.um topic was the teaching of Gaelic in tho schools, in which respect some disparaging things were said of our enthusiasm as compared with that of Ireland. 1 suspect the reason is that with us the movement has never had a political tinge. Tho Duke of Atholl recently made what seemed a, rather fantastic,, suggestion for the establishment of a Gaelic C'ollege in lona, but the members of the society were much more concerned to see that those children who are born in Gaolio-spenking schools should have their knowledge of the language developed so that it shall be something more than colloquial, and shall not disappear when they come in contact with the Englishspeaking world. There was much regret that no provision is made for the children of Gaelic speakers in Glasgow, where there are probably more bi-lingual parents than in any other part of Scotland. But, hearing nothing but English in the playground and the class-room, they soon lose the power to speak anything else. Still, it is wonderful what parental enthusiasm will do. I know a London policeman, whose boy has never been in Scotland except for a week or two during tho holidays, and yet speaks Gaelic with perfect ffiooncy and accuracy. THE TONGUE OF BURNS. At Ayr, on the other hand, the members of the Burns Federation at their annual gathering, have been deploring the decline in tho use of the Scottish tongue, as Bums wrote it. Even the parish minister of Alloway, who was in the chair, pointed out that to describe a man as an “ancient, trusted, drouthy crony” is far more graphic and sounds better than to call him “an old nice gentleman who takes a drink.” The Federation has a record of useful work, including a large part in tho establishment of a Chair of Scottish Literature at Glasgow University, tho preservation of many Bums relies, and tho creation of many Burns memorials. But perhaps its most useful function is as tho apostle of what may bo called tho Burns spirit among -Scots all over the world. THE LATE EARL FARQUHAR. Earl Farquhar, who died last week, was generally referred to as of Aberdeenshire descent, but the original home of the family was in Ayrshire, and tho estate of Gilmilnscroft in that county is still in its possession. It was a younger son who in tho time of Charles I migrated to Aberdeenshire and became Lord Provost of Aberdeen in 1646 to defend that city in the Royalist canoe. His great-great-grandson was physician to George IV, and received one of several baronetcies which have been given to tiie family. Earl Farquhar himself was on© of seven sons, but not one of them has left an heir, so that the earldom bestowed on him as well as the baronetcy to which he succeeded, becomes extinct. The Earl was a successful banker in London, and it was through his influence that the late Duke of Fife, like himself an intimate friend of the late King Edward. went into the same business. Lord Farquhar was a cheery soul, a great racontour and host, and retained his interest in the country of his origin, where he generally spent most of the autumn. TWO GLASGOW CITIZENS. There is no country readier to do honour to its own prophets than Glasgow is, and it is accordingly no surprise to read the Town Council’s recommendation that the freedom of the city should be conferred on Sir James Bell and Sir Thomas Lipton. Tho fame of the latter is now world-wide, but, unless I am mistaken, it was in a little shop in Stockwell street or thereabout that he laid the foundations of his fortune. I daresay some of my readers' were puzzled and amused, as I was when a boy. by his first advertisements, concave and convex mirrors, which showed one as a walking skeleton “going to Lipton’s” and as a sort of fat boy of Peckham returning therefrom. Since (hen ho has extended his enterprises to the ends of the earth, raced for international yachting trophies, and become the friend of kings. But to us friends ho remains the same “Tommy” who sold ham, butter, and eggs in Glasgow. Sir James Bell has also had many commercial argosies on tho seas, and it is interesting to recall that away back in tho eighties ho had a share in the famous Thistle challenger for the America cup. I remember him best as Lord Provost of Glasgow, which, it is a shock to be reminded, is over 30 years ago. He was (he youngest man who ever occupied that position, and one of the most generous and successful. Since then he has been busy as a merchant, a banker, and a railway director, but he has always found time too to give a hand to every good work. He and Sir Thomas Lipton are the same ago —born in 1850—but neither ha.s ever entertained the thought that it'is time to take things easy. GLASGOW’S NEW GOLF COURSE. Glasgow has now come into possession of the new golf course gifted by Sir Hugh and Sir John Reid, the engine-builders of Springburn, along with £SOOO towards tho cost of maintenance. It consists of about 180 acres of undulating ground, with a total length of 6571 yards, and should be an immense boon to the unattached golfers of north-eastern Glasgow. James Braid, who laid out the course, had Georg© Duncan as partner in the inaugural foursome

match against Havers and Ockenden, and the Scots won comfortably. The corporation has this year provided 39 new- tennis courts, and 53 are promised by next year, and there will also be 59 public bowling greens, so that Glasgow-, old and young, will be well supplied with facilities for recreation. THE END O’ AN AULD SANG. The phrase may justly be recalled in connection with the fact that the Murrays, of Elibank, after owning the estate of Darnhall, Peeblesshire, for four centuries, are now- about to part with it. T o commemorate their association with the place and also to celebrate Ida own jubilee as Id® owner, tne aged and invalid Viscount Elibank has presented a public park to the neighbouring village of Eildleston. On (he same dav that it was handed over the village entered into the possession of a public hall and miniature shooting range, towards which the late Lord Murray of Elibank, the Viscount’s eldest son, well known m Bie political world, presented £SOO. Tne two surviving brothers, the present Master of Elibank and Colonel Arthur Murray, M.J .. took part in the opening ceremonies As is the curious fashion of the Murray family, they are on opposite sides politically but that does not seem to interfere with thenpersonal relations. The brculling of so old a territorial tie is bound to cause some emotion, oven among the least sentimental. The plain truth is that under present conditions agricultural owners, who nave other source of income, cannot Mora to keep up their estates as they should be kept up, and it is in the public interest that they should part with them. And it the Murrays, who have some of the hnest land in the country, feel the financial ranch, others with poorer land must be still worse off. ,